Net Neutrality and the Future of the Internet

Recently, President Obama proposed plans to regulate the Internet with something called net neutrality in the name of preserving it. Obama urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to regulate the Internet more by placing broadband access under Title 2 regulations of the Telecommunications Act. The Telecommunications Act was originally established in the 1930’s to regulate public utilities. This Act currently controls all phone services in the United States and if approved, net neutrality will ultimately determine the future of the Internet.

The FCC is now in preparation of an official guideline on how to treat all Internet traffic the same way, which will henceforth be known as net neutrality. It has been reported that these official guidelines may not be available until 2015. Some major broadband providers, as well as other big players in the Internet and technology market have already voiced their comments in regards to this plan.

In an interview with Business Insider, Mark Cuban, the current outspoken owner of the Dallas Maverick’s and billionaire entrepreneur from the hit television show Shark Tank, stated his concerns about net neutrality and Obama’s plans for the future of the Internet. Cuban said that the Internet will get screwed up by Obama’s proposed regulations and will ultimately become the equivalent of a public utility in a Socialist society.

Some fear this decision because they believe that Internet providers, like Comcast, may prioritize the traffic of one company over the traffic of another’s, which would in turn make it much harder for a smaller and much newer company to compete with a larger company that has much more money behind it. Some concerned citizens believe that net neutrality is the first step to a Socialist Internet system and ultimately the destruction of the Internet as it is currently known.

Sen. Ted Cruz basically referred to this new plan as “Obamacare for the Internet.” Cruz also said that taxes, rules and regulations if applied to the Internet, would ultimately threaten freedom, entrepreneurship and creativity online. Cruz believes the reason some want this Act passed is because politicians want money and more control over public speech, further enslaving the liberties that are natural-born given rights of all citizens of this country.

Brian Fischer of RWW News agreed with Cruz by stating that, he believes the Internet has been an excellent example of capitalist free enterprise for several decades and worries that net neutrality will ultimately destroy the Internet. In a recent interview on Fox News, Lou Dobbs stated his concerns with net neutrality, starting with the name. Dobbs feels that this term net neutrality does not quite fit what it essentially is; government controlled Internet.

Allegedly 61 percent of Americans are opposed to this Act and involvement of the FCC in their Internet affairs. For those who are undecided as to how they feel about net neutrality and the possibility of the government controlling the future of the Internet, it may be absolutely essential for those people to thoroughly research this potential Act, as well as the jurisdiction it allots those who control the regulating of the Internet.